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Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554
In the Matter of)
)
Request for Review of the)
Decision of the)
Universal Service Administrator by)
)
Rush Springs School District 68 )File No. SLD-118222
Rush Springs, Oklahoma )
)
Federal-State Joint Board on) CC Docket No. 96-45
Universal Service)
)
Changes to the Board of Directors of the)CC Docket No. 97-21
National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc.)
ORDER
Adopted: September 18, 2000 Released: September 19, 2000
By the Common Carrier Bureau:
1. The Common Carrier Bureau (Bureau) has under consideration a Letter of Appeal filed by the
Rush Springs School District 68 (Rush Springs), Rush Springs, Oklahoma on May 1, 2000, pursuant to
section 54.719(c) of the Commission's rules. Rush Springs seeks review of a decision of the Schools and
Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company, denying in part Rush Springs'
request for funding of internal connection services. For the reasons discussed below, we grant the appeal
in part and remand this matter to SLD.
2. By letter dated July 13, 1999, SLD granted Rush Springs' request for a discount on the cost of
installing a Cisco 2610 router for connection to a T-1 line (Funding Request Number 176193), but modified
the request to exclude the cost of an integrated data service unit/channel service unit wide area network
interface card (WAN Interface Card or Card). Rush Springs appealed SLD's decision, arguing that
"[t]echnical information about this Cisco router indicates that there can be no Internet T1 connection . . . in
the absence of [the Card]." SLD denied Rush Springs' appeal, stating simply that the Card "is an ineligible
product under program rules." In the instant appeal, Rush Springs argues that the Card is eligible for
funding because it is an essential component of the Cisco 2610 router, which has been found to be eligible
for funding.
3. In White Sulphur Springs School District, the Bureau concluded that where a router and channel
service unit/data service unit equipment are "marketed primarily to be used for what is an eligible service,
namely to provide Internet access for small LANs," and the applicant uses the router only for this purpose,
"the presence of additional, peripheral WAN functionality in the router, which is not being used, does not
render the router ineligible for funding as a part of wide area network facilities." Rush Springs does not
specifically assert that the WAN Interface Card at issue here is not being used for wide area network
purposes. Nevertheless, the technical materials provided by Rush Springs indicate that the Card's primary
function is to serve as a data service unit/channel service unit, which is eligible for funding. Moreover,
SLD's finding of ineligibility appears to be inconsistent with its decision to fund the Cisco 2610 router,
given the fact that the router and the Card are integrated components and the Card's WAN functionality can
be used only together with the router. Under these circumstances, and in the absence of an explanation by
SLD of the basis for its decision, we conclude that the record does not support SLD's ineligibility finding.
Accordingly, we shall remand to SLD for further consideration. In particular, SLD should determine
whether Rush Springs would be using the router and associated Card for wide area network purposes.
4. ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to authority delegated under sections 0.91,
0.291, and 54.722(a) of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R. 0.91, 0.291, and 54.722(a), that the appeal
filed by Rush Springs School District 68, Rush Springs, Oklahoma on May 1, 2000 IS GRANTED to the
extent provided herein. We direct the Schools and Libraries Division to review Rush Springs' funding application and, if warranted, to issue a revised Funding Commitment
Decision Letter in accordance with the above-stated decision.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Carol E. Mattey
Deputy Chief, Common Carrier Bureau